National Army reaches an agreement to fight alongside the HTS in Idlib
North-Press Agency
Russian and Syrian warplanes continued to launch raids on the de-escalation zones this morning as the Syrian government forces attempted to advance to the southern and southeastern fronts of Idlib, at a time when the "Syrian National Army" announced reaching an agreement with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham HTS (previously Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria) to enter Idlib and participate in the fight against the Syrian and Russian forces. As the Russian warplanes returned to launch raids after an absence since yesterday due to bad weather conditions, targeting the areas of ICARDA, Um Ataba, Sheikh Ahmed, Tal Hadya and Zammar in Aleppo’s southern countryside, and Marshorin and the area of al-Ghadfa in the countryside of Maarat al-Numan, on Monday morning with about 20 raids.
While the warplanes of the Syrian government forces targeted places in the town of Tal-Minis in Idlib’s southeast countryside, and dropped barrel bombs on Marshorin, Deir al-Gharbi, Tal-Minis and the city of Maarat al-Numan, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Whereas Clashes continue in Tawil al-Halib axis in Idlib’s eastern countryside, between the Syrian armed opposition groups on one side, and the Syrian government forces on the other, as well as intermittent shelling on contact axes east and southeast of Idlib, from time to another.
In a related context, the Syrian government forces are bringing more reinforcements to the countryside of Aleppo, where dozens of military vehicles loaded with soldiers, weaponry and ammunition have reached the southern countryside of Aleppo and the outskirts of western Aleppo, during the last 48 hours, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Moreover, pro-Syrian opposition social media accounts reported that a civil defense member was killed and others were injured as a result of an air strike by a Syrian warplane on the city of Maarat al-Numan this morning. And two women were wounded in the Russian airstrikes targeting the vicinity of the village of Sheikh Ahmad in Aleppo’s southern countryside.
According to the above, the Russian warplanes launched more than eight airstrikes with vacuum and cluster rockets on the vicinity of the villages of Sheikh Ahmad and Um Ataba in Aleppo’s southern countryside. While the Syrian government forces stationed in Tal Aloush and al-Wasta have bombed heavily the villages of Zammar and Jazaria in southern Aleppo, following a confrontation process by the opposition groups to an attempted advance by the Syrian forces on the front of Zammar, last night.
On the other hand, the Syrian National Army has reached an agreement with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regarding the participation in countering the military campaign launched by the Syrian government and the Russian forces on Idlib governorate.
As pro-Syrian opposition social media accounts have quoted Abdullah Halawa, a commander of the 2nd Corps of the National Army, that all formations belonging to the "army" will enter the region of Idlib to support the armed opposition groups there without obstacles, and will head directly into the fighting fronts that the Syrian government forces are trying to advance in.